Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Bidirectional activity-dependent morphological plasticity in hippocampal neurons.

U Valentin Nägerl1, Nicola Eberhorn, Sidney B Cambridge

  • 1Max-Planck-Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 München-Martinsried, Germany.

Neuron
|December 2, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Hippocampal neurons exhibit activity-dependent structural plasticity, with dendritic spines forming or retracting based on neural activity. This spine plasticity, crucial for learning and memory, diminishes with age.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pan-Optical Shadow Imaging of Brain Microanatomy.

Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2026
Same author

Structurally exclusive Teneurin complexes orchestrate divergent programs in early cortical development.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Learning and Representation of Categories in the Rodent Brain.

Annual review of neuroscience·2026
Same author

Perinatal liver sympathetic innervation governs body size.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

Live STED imaging of functional neuroanatomy.

Nature protocols·2025
Same author

A column-like organization for ocular dominance in mouse visual cortex.

Nature communications·2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Synaptic Plasticity

Background:

  • Dendritic spines on pyramidal neurons are key sites for excitatory synaptic input.
  • Spine morphology changes (morphological plasticity) are linked to long-term neuronal circuit alterations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate activity-dependent morphological plasticity of dendritic spines in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.
  • To determine if spine formation and elimination occur in response to specific stimulation patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized organotypic slice cultures of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons.
  • Employed two-photon time-lapse microscopy to observe spine dynamics.
  • Applied low-frequency stimulation (LFS) and theta burst stimulation (TBS) to induce plasticity.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Low-frequency stimulation induced NMDA receptor-dependent spine retractions.
  • Theta burst stimulation promoted the formation of new spines.
  • Spontaneous spine elimination occurred at rates comparable to stimulus-induced changes, and this ability decreased with age.

Conclusions:

  • Hippocampal neurons display bidirectional activity-dependent spine morphological plasticity.
  • Spines are dynamically formed and eliminated in response to neural activity.
  • The capacity for activity-dependent spine elimination declines with neuronal development.